Photos: Centre launched to promote open source

John Pugh MP spoke at the launch, and said he was "astonished" that open source hadn't been more successful in the UK public sector.

"There is widespread public sector ignorance: they often do not know what you are talking about," Pugh warned, adding that the open-source community itself should also take some blame. "There are divisions within it. I listen to the conversations in the open-source community, and there is no point in hardening the divisions."

Pugh also warned that open-source software faced some formidable challenges within the political space.

"Open source has its enemies and its enemies are very close to government. They are very close to the top of governments and they are intending to stay there," said Pugh in his speech, although he didn't elaborate on this point.

Pugh, the author of a recent parliamentary Early Day Motion protesting against the restriction of open-source software in schools, also lashed out at Becta, the government's advisor on IT in schools.

"Becta's frameworks cut out a lot of innovation... and are damn right unfair to the open-source community. There have been concerns over the long-term stability of open-source companies on Becta's mind. There are some companies, but open source has not always been so good at salesmanship," Pugh said

Pugh added there was a real danger that children would grow up being proficient in Microsoft software such as PowerPoint, but with little knowledge of computing as a whole.